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R.F. HUNTER - Gilbert (1953)

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Even if its main activity was the production of bakelite items, the English company R.F Hunter Ltd (located 51-53 Gray's Inn Road - Londres) is well known for having been one of the first camera makers which marketed in 1937, a camera equiped with a plastic optical lens and named "Purma Special".

In 1953, R.F Hunter manufactured a box camera for film 120 : the Gilbert.

Because of its steel front face, it looks robust but elegant. This is due also to its brown lizard-skin covering.

This camera is equipped with a very bright viewfinder which is tied to the lens. It can swivel of an angle of 90 ° on the axle of this last one. This clever system allows framing for both vertical or horizontal shots (format 6 x 9 cm).

Lens aperture is 1:11 and the focal distance is f=105mm. When you are looking right into the axle of the lens, you can see a red circle indicating the camera is not ready to shot. When the shutter is rearmed, the circle becomes green.

The shutter is coupled to the film advance wheel and also synchronized with a flash slot located on the front plate of the camera.
Located on the top of the front plate, the tab located onto the left hand allows to select one of both possible apertures: " Sunny " or " Dull ". The one onto the left hand is for the speed selection: " Fast " or "Slow".
Caution when choosing the speed "Slow". It is necessary to overbalance a little the tab on the left when pulling it up. Not proceeding that way, it will obstinately refuse to go out of its slot.

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